Ironmen focus on consistent progress

Thursday

Although the script is completely different from last August, the motivation remains the same this preseason for the rising Nowata High School football program.

Although the script is completely different from last August, the motivation remains the same this preseason for the rising Nowata High School football program.

A year ago, the Ironmen were trying to bounce back from an 0-10 season in 2011; this year the Ironmen are trying to build on a 9-3 playoff campaign in 2012.

But, not much has change in the attitude of preparation.

“To be honest, the mental approach this year is relatively similar,” Hagebusch said Wednesday. “Last year, our goal was to get better at practice every day and we’re trying to stay grounded this year with the same mental approach.”

With several key players returning from last year, however, some things will not be the same.

“We’re not going to be sneaking up on anybody this year,” Hagebusch said. “But, we want to be one of the those teams everyone puts a target on because that means we’re winning. The main thing we’ve got to do as coaches and as players is to make sure our guys understand it’s day-by-day. We’ve got to be focused on making ourselves better every day.

“If we can stay grounded and not caught up in everyone else’s expectations, we should be fine.”

Based on the Ironmen’s scrimmage performance last week, the formula is working.

Veteran running back Nate Moore — who last season rushed for 771 yards (11.2 avg.) and 12 touchdowns and led the team in receiving (358 yards, four TDs) — rumbled for four scores in the scrimmage.

“He’s a threat every single time he touches the ball,” Hagebusch said. “From a big-play standpoint, he’ll be our go-to guy. We’ll line him up all over the place…to put him wherever we can get him the ball.”

Hagebusch also welcomes back veteran quarterback Wyatt Steigerwald, who last season passed for 11 touchdowns and 1,313 yards, with only five interceptions.

Steigerwald has improved “on the little mechanical things,” the coach said. “We’re able to get a little deeper into the playbook because of his understanding. He’s able to do some things…and change the plays at the line.”

Rounding out the triumvirate of the most visible returnees is lineman Skyler Wood, who is considered one of the state’s top gridders in the Class of 2014.

The 6-foot-2, 265-pound warrior is slated to line up at both noseguard and offensive guard.

Last season, Wood made 96 tackles, forced four rumbles (recovering one of them), racked up 39 tackles for loss and collected 15 sacks.

“Just like you’d expect him to do, he’s bigger and stronger than he was last year,” said Hagebusch. “He’ll be one of the focal points of everyone’s game plan who plays us. He’s one of those kids will elevate his game and step up against the attention.”

In addition to the proven veterans, Hagebusch said he was pleased about how some new starters stepped up in last week’s scrimmage.

Defensively, “I feel like we’re a little ahead of where we were last year,” he summarized.

Two of the faces in new positions belonged to Archie Agnew, who is filling the void at safety left behind by Tyler Lewis’ graduation, and Corey Hobbs, who will be getting more reps at the linebacker spot held last year by Tyler Tidwell.

Bill Davis also is moving into the defensive slot manned ably last season by Landon Roberson.

Hobbs made his biggest contribution last season as a tailback, slashing for 646 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Nowata will plunge back into action tonight in a scrimmage at Collinsville.

The Ironmen open the regular season Sept. 6, by hosting Dewey High School in the traditional opener that extends back decades, with very rare exceptions.

Dewey won last year’s opener, 9-6, in a defensive struggle.

“It will be fun,” said Hagebusch. “It’s always great from a coaching standpoint, coaching in a big rivalry where there’s no love lost between the teams. … We look forward to it.”

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